Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey said he would keep his options open for the team's head coaching search, and a new report has tied the team to a surprising name.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is under consideration for an interview for the coaching role, ESPN reported Tuesday.
The move would be an extreme departure from coaching norms. Rice, who chaired the Commission on College Basketball and served on the College Football Playoff selection committee from 2013-16, has no coaching experience.
Rice would also become the first woman known to interview for a head coaching job in the NFL.
Browns general manager John Dorsey released a statement saying that they are still in the process of discussing candidates, and that Rice had not been discussed
In 2016, Kathryn Smith became the first female full-time assistant coach in the league when she was hired by the Buffalo Bills as a special teams quality control coach. The San Francisco 49ers hired Katie Sowers as an offensive assistant in 2017, and the Oakland Raiders brought on Kelsey Martinez to their strength and conditioning staff this past offseason.
Dorsey said last week that he would consider a woman for the coaching role, though only after correcting his previous phrasing.
"I would like to see a man of character. I would like to see a man who can lead young men. I would like to see a man who has high football acumen," Dorsey said. "I just want the best possible head coach to move this thing forward regardless of age. It could be a woman, too. Do not look at me like that. I am serious. Who knows? We will look at everything is what I am trying to tell you all."
The Browns fired coach Hue Jackson on Oct. 29 after two-plus seasons.
Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
